The main arterial is East Lake Rd., running north and south as shown on the map at left (look for 611 in the box).
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1. LOCATION
East Lake sits at the very north and east of Pinellas County. It is bounded by Lake Tarpon in the west, by Countryside (Clearwater) to the south at Tampa Rd., by Brooker Creek Preserve to the east, and by Trinity (Pasco County) in the north past Keystone Rd. It is located centrally in the urban-suburban expanse of Tampa Bay's coastal region, which stretches from St. Petersburg in the south to Hudson in the north. Beyond these places the Tampa Bay metropolis ends, giving way to the Nature Coast up north, and the Sarasota area down south.
East Lake is a quick drive to the Suncoast cities of:
Palm Harbor (10 min), Tarpon Springs (10 min), Dunedin (15 min), Safety Harbor (15 min) Clearwater (15 min), The Gulf Beaches (25 min), Tampa (30 min) and St. Petersburg (30 min).
For a list of cities in FL by lattitude, click here.
Click here for current traffic volume on US 19.
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__2. GETTING TO EAST LAKE
---From Out of State: Take I-75 south, get off at State Road 54, turn right (west) and follow it until Rowan Rd (611)., turn left.
---From Tampa (and the Airport): Cross the Bay on w. 60, turn north on McMullin Booth Rd (611).
---From Tallahassee: travel south on US 19, Pass SR 54 and cross into Pinellas County, turn left on Tarpon Ave.
---From St. Petersburg / Clearwater: Drive north on US 19, pass Countryside Mall and the bridge, turn right on Tampa Rd.
---From the Pinellas County Jail: take 611 north to 60 e., continue to I-275 s., merge with I-75, look for the sign that says 'Miami' and keep going.
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Most people pass right on through East Lake because from its main street, East Lake Rd.it looks unremarkable in comparison to its neighbors. Yet, once you turn left or right off US 19, you find yourself in a different world- one of pleasantly curving roads, greenery, clean air, and many people friendly communities where nature meets design. Nicely landscaped master-planned communities, such as Lansbrook and Ridgemoor, favorites like Tarpon Woods and East Lake Woodlands, and of course the Boot Ranch condominiums. East Lake is truly the "Jewel of Pinellas County."
Click Here or on the St. Pete Times icon for the story:
Often, people ask why they do not "find East Lake on a map". The best answer is that currently East Lake shares a name, with some disdain about this from both sides), with another community, in Hillsborough County. The issue of who gets the rights to the name are being discussed. Still, East Lake has grown into a cohesive and vibrant community since the 1970s, and will no doubt continue to do so. Please also see this story. |
3. East Lake Geography
East Lake is actually quite large. It encompasses 12.4 sq. miles and is sparsly populated even for being suburban, with a population density of 1,388 people / sq. mile (the average for Pinellas County is 3,320).
4. MAJOR ARTERIALS
Transportation in Palm Harbor (and Pinellas County, and Tampa Bay as a whole) is not one of the local chamber of commerce's `points of pride.' If you can avoid US 19 you can be safe... the problem is that you can't avoid it.
In our neck of the woods, East Lake Rd. (611) is the main, actually the only, north-south arterial. It is also the only street that takes one through East Lake, and therefore holds a special importance for us (see picture).
Keystone Rd. is a continuation of Tarpon Ave., and runs east-west at our northern edge. There are still farms located along this street, which takes one to Gunn Hwy. to the east.
Tampa Rd. is our east-west arterial to the south. Generally, this street is not on a human scale. It is a 6 lane highway built the old south way, without any rules, or at least without anyone obeying the rules. Careening cars, impossible turns, no curbs, and a `needs-improvement' streetlight system make this road stressful to drive on. Its penultimate destination to the west, US 19, has been rated as one of the most accident prone streets in the U.S. by the federally funded 'MeanStreets' survey, put out by the national traffic safety division. It was also a feature on 'Dateline NBC' for this reason, a few years ago.
For regular users of this problem street, click the following for the government's postmodern solution:
East Lake Rd., meanwhile, despite greatly increased traffic as of late, is a much friendlier 4 lane road. Though drivers do abuse the speed limit, this road is not nearly as problematic as comperably sized streets on the other side of Lake Tarpon, or elsewhere in Pinellas County. Most of the neighborhoods in our community find their entrances off of East Lake Rd.
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Home Aquarium in Ridgemoor
Restaurant Aquarium near Tampa Rd.
East Lake's predilection for classic cars is evident |
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Go back to see all the other features of the East Lake community
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